So, why in the world would Turcotte, still on cloud nine and basking in the blinding limelight of his history making victory, ride in the race following the Belmont Stakes?...
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The scroll on ESPN's Sportscenter May 3 morning had its priorities straight. The No. 1 horse racing story read: "Secretariat wins Virtual Kentucky Derby." Oh, yes, that was followed by story No. 2, which read: "Charlatan, Nadal Win Split Arkansas Derby."...
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Very often it is not the Kentucky Derby itself that provides the greatest memories as much as the road leading to the Derby....
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No one likes getting old, especially when you still think of yourself as a kid--in my case growing up in Brooklyn and having my world revolve around sports. That spark of youth still burns brightly no matter how old you get. And you even miss the naivety that comes with being young. We looked at everything, especially sports, with a good deal of innocence because we simply didn't know any better. That's why it was fun....
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Since this story was first published in 2002, I have spoken to several other employees of Meadow Stud who remember Secretariat and have wonderful recollections of him as a baby and a yearling, and some of his wild adventures. So, with the annual Secretariat Festival in Lexington, Ky. on October 12-14 just around the corner, I thought I would update the original article to include new stories of the mischievous Big Red and the docile Riva Ridge from those who knew them well....
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@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { } Saturday will mark the 45th anniversary to the day of Secretariat's defeat at the hands of Prove Out in the Woodward Stakes. I have written extensively about Prove Out and how that upset...
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Mariah Lester is an aspiring racing journalist about to enter college, where she hopes to lay the foundation for a career in writing about the recently discovered sport she loves and horses such as her local hero Stopshoppingdebbie, Queen of Emerald Downs, who opened the door to a wonderful new world. Because of her passion, astute writing style, and ability to tell her story in a captivating manner...
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There is a sire we tend to overlook as a dominant influence, but who produced two daughters that are responsible for the majority of today's top stars....
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If you like intrigue based on the uncertainty surrounding a major star you should have around for the inaugural running of the Marlboro Cup in 1973....
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Well, Penny, after wishing you a Happy Birthday every couple of years, I must update my sentiments one final time. Although it isn't your birthday, it is the day you have entered the gates of racing's pantheon, and ethereally speaking, have been reunited with those the two noble steeds who would help define your life, as well as the man you so admired and cherished, who was responsible for bringing...
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Why spend a million dollars on an untried yearling with an uncertain future when you can buy a piece of history that will endure forever? We're not talking just any piece of history, but items that represent three superstars of The Turf, Secretariat, Dr. Fager, and Arts and Letters. ...
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When the Secretariat rocket ship soared to a galaxy never before reached in his 31-length procession in the Belmont Stakes, it gave the colt an aura of invincibility and made it seem inconceivable that he would ever be defeated again. He had raised the bar higher than any horse in history or at least the same level as the previous Big Red, Man o’ War. But no matter how devastating he looked in the...
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I have posted photos of Secretariat over the years, including a collection of shots seven years ago, but never all of them in one place. I figured it was time to put all these photos together in a single blog, just to have them archived and easily accessible....
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It was 1973, and America was desperately looking for a sports hero. By June they had found one in the form of a flashy powerful chestnut horse named Secretariat, who was so popular he appeared on the covers of Time, Newsweek , and Sports Illustrated in the same week. And this was before his iconic procession into history in the Belmont Stakes, in which he became the first horse in 25 years to sweep...
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Could it be that we actually saw the Travers winner, or at least a major threat in the Midsummer Derby, compete on Saturday?...
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Of all the stakes on NYRA's calendar to change to the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, none would have made the Hall of Fame trainer happier than the King's Bishop, named after a horse he trained and run at the track in which he scored his most memorable upset the same year he won a grade I stakes with King's Bishop....
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Arrogate is as great as each individual perceives him, and it has nothing to do with competition or longevity. Years from now, Arrogate's Hall of Fame plaque will be there among the others, and nowhere will it mention the quality of his competition....
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With Sham sort of back in the spotlight again, I went back to a 2009 column I wrote on the colt and felt enough years had passed to re-work and re-edit it by adding new material and tell his story once again even more comprehensively....
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September used to be a month where champions were made, the promise of fall, something to look forward to following the magic of Saratoga....
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This column seemed to be well-received by Secretariat fans last year, so I thought I would reprint it as an annual Birthday present to Penny and all Big Red 's fans who might have missed it last year. Mrs. Chenery celebrates her 93rd birthday on Tuesday, Jan. 27. So let's return to her party one year later....
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This was a time of filled grandstands and of sound and healthy horses, most of whom were coming off much-needed vacations of their own....
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Pity any 3-year-old that had the misfortune to come along the year after Secretariat....
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The latest racing documentary, "Penny and Red," directed, edited, and produced by John Tweedy and narrated by actress Diane Lane, is not your typical home movie with the same stock film clips of Secretariat....
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Steve visits with the grooms who helped raise Secretariat at The Meadow....
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Step back in time and enjoy the images of racing and the horses who made history....
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